Aretha Franklin sang “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” during a tribute to Carole King in 2015

“Carole was losing her mind, Obama was losing his mind,” said the Broadway actress Chilina Kennedy.

In her final decade, Aretha Franklin’s two best-loved performances both took place in Washington.

In 2009, she graced Barack Obama’s inauguration with a gorgeous “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” while wearing a hat so remarkable it ended up on display in the Smithsonian. And on Dec. 6, 2015, she sang an unforgettable rendition of her own anthem of rebirth, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” in tribute to the song’s co-writer, Carole King, who was receiving the Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime achievement alongside Rita Moreno, Cicely Tyson and other luminaries.

In memory of Aretha Franklin’s passing, here’s a look back at the “Queen of Soul” performing at President Barack Obama’s first inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2009. She sang “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” in front of thousands at the National Mall in Washington D.C.

Yesterday, on Easter Sunday, I was visiting family to celebrate the occasion.
I had set my DVR in case I wasn’t home before the show began … and that was the case.

You see, back in 1970, when the LP was released, it became one of my favorite musical ever. I would stay in my room, lyrics in hand, headphones in place … till the wee hours in the morning listening to the music over and over.

Watching the show last night lead to many happy memories and moments of amazing flashbacks.

To my surprise, I remembered most of the lyrics.

For me, back then, the musical represented a state of the times … these being the times of Jesus Christ and the times when the musical production was released. To me, it was an attempt to explain the story of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Judas, the Apostles and the politico-social reality of the era. It was also an attempt to bring humanity to the characters.

I found it quite interesting that 48 years after the initial release, the message still rang true and applied to the times we are currently living.

I definitely loved the concert.

I think the set, the musicians, the development concepts and the performances were beyond amazing.

Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started as a rock opera concept album before its Broadway debut in 1971.

The musical is mostly sung-through, with little spoken dialogue. The story is loosely based on the Gospels’ accounts of the last week of Jesus’s life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion. It depicts political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus that are not present in the Bible.

The work’s depiction offers a free interpretation of the psychology of Jesus and the other characters. A large part of the plot focuses on the character of Judas, who is depicted as a tragic figure dissatisfied with the direction in which Jesus steers his disciples. Contemporary attitudes and sensibilities (as well as slang) pervade the lyrics, and ironic allusions to modern life are scattered throughout the depiction of political events. Stage and film productions accordingly contain many intentional anachronisms.

~SOURCE~

Wikipedia

It’s only appropriate that NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert aired on Easter Sunday.

There is no better way to celebrate the Holy holiday than with an Easter egg hunt in the day and a live TV adaptation of an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical at night. And when it comes to NBC live musical events, Jesus Christ Superstar ranks at the top.

What could have felt like a dated rock opera was more like an uproarious arena concert filled with screaming fans, frenetic lights, blaring speakers, pyrotechnics and a group of musicians and performers fueled with the spirit of a chaotic electric guitar wildly flailing about – just how Jesus would have wanted it.

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Horty

I'm originally from Puerto Rico. I was born in Santurce and raised in Rio Piedras. I currently live in Florida - since 1999. I have a doctorate degree in Medicine; completed in 1976. My Internal Medicine specialty was completed in 1979. Worked for Puerto Rico's health system until 1985. At this time, I'm happily retired after working for the federal government for almost 28yrs. I also worked for the government of Puerto Rico from 1979 through 1985 .... for a total of almost 40 years as a physician. I want to offer any knowledge that I have to anyone "out there" who is interested. My views are liberal in almost every sense. My knowledge is "eclectic" - a bit of everything. Music and reading are my passion. Blogging has also become a very interesting endeavor. Metaphysical topics attract me. I'm interested in news - reporting human issues like injustice, discrimination and abuse - the "wrongly" affected. My intention is to bring this knowledge to an understandable level and to help anyone in need. I'm open to questions and will answer them to the best of my ability. Currently working on an enterprise whose main mission will be to bring peoples of all walks of life together. To be one .... since we ALL are ONE!! The future looks bright and promising!!!